The method behind the madness that is plotting and researching to write one of my  novels. This piece is the 2nd of a 4 part series on Giving the Antagonist a POV. Don’t forget that the giveaway is still open and make sure you enter.

Giving the Antagonist a POV

Golden Chariot and Byzantine Gold, the romantic thrillers, had definite antagonists. They were cunning and dangerous people who placed the protagonists in perilous circumstances. These are not characters out of a Criminal Minds episode driven by blood lust. They’re men with an agenda. They have a goal and what they consider a logical purpose for their actions. Whether it’s for revenge, financial gain, or for a cause they believe in, they feel justified in everything they do.

Golden Chariot has three antagonists. Two are the masterminds behind the artifact smuggling operation. The third is a contract killer hired by the other two. When one of the conspirators orders an government agent murdered without the other’s knowledge, the co-conspirator is incensed. Their entire scheme nearly falls apart, a situation the man who ordered the murder can’t afford to have happen. I needed to give him an extraordinary reason for taking this risk. To justify his actions, he required a POV. Taking a path less traveled by handing the antagonist this power can be surprising fun, it can be enlightening for both the author and the reader. What resulted was suddenly seeing both the man behind the murder and the victim in a different light. That didn’t change the fact the killing was wrong, but it helped to understand why the man ordered the murder.